Northeast Vietnam Motorbike Tour from Hanoi to Halong Bay – 12 days

On the first day of the tour, we will try to avoid the traffic jam in Hanoi City by setting off a little late, at around 9 am. It takes 30 minutes to get out of Hanoi, and then we head straight to Hoa Binh province. Right at the Luong Son Market, we turn our way to the off-road trail that does not even appear on Google Maps. After crossing about ten small streams, we continue another off-road trail to Bai Chao for lunch.

After lunch, we keep riding on more off-road trails and stop to admire the beauty of Cao Phong town’s orange farms and sugarcane hills. Then, we reach the Highway to Da Trang pass and take some nice shots. We keep riding along the Da River to reach Ba Khan, a beautiful lake known as a miniature Halong Bay in Hoa Binh province. Next, head to Go Lao waterfall until merging into the old Highway 6 to reach the dreamlike Mai Chau valley.

Summary:

Distance: 170 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

Today’s morning, we have many route options to Moc Chau, where we can stop to rest and have lunch. However, we will follow either the old Highway 6 or the new one if you like the routes that bring more adventurous riding experiences. The old Highway 6, built by the French in the colonial era, connects the northwestern provinces of Vietnam and crosses through 3 Vietnam – Laos border gates. This old Highway passing many valleys and ancient forests is considered the scariest yet nicest part of the day worth conquering for any biker.

We head to Moc Chau Plateau, which has long been regarded as a heaven of color in Northwest Vietnam. After lunch in Moc Chau, we keep riding 40km further, crossing forests and mountain passes to reach Pha Van Yen. Then, we will travel on the ferry to cross the Da River. Before coming to the hotel in the rural town of Phu Yen, we will have a short off-road section. It’s expected to arrive at the hotel at 5 pm, just right in the beer time.

Summary:

Distance: 170 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Today’s morning, let’s explore the old Lung Lo Pass. This historic mountain pass was used to supply weapons and ammunition during the Indochina war and contributed to the victory of Dien Bien Phu. The pass is not so long but quite challenging for any off-road biker as it crosses through the ancient forest of Yen Bai province.

Keep riding on the bends of the forest road until reaching Nghia Lo town, where we stop for lunch. In the afternoon, we will conquer the most beautiful roads in Northwestern Vietnam, such as Khau Pha pass, La Pan Tan, and Raspberry hill of Mu Cang Chai valley. We arrive at the hotel at 5 pm and spend one night in Phu Yen.

Summary:

Distance: 220 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Today we will conquer the O Quy Ho pass, one of Vietnam’s most rugged yet beautiful mountain passes. On the pass, we will stop for a while to admire the majestic beauty of the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. Just spend some time taking a deep breath of fresh air at the height of 2000 m above sea level, and don’t forget to take some nice shots here to keep the precious moments.

Now let’s enjoy some awesome riding experiences around a couple of ethnic villages like Khoang, Ta Phin, or Sin Chai before reaching the hotel in Sapa’s dreamlike town.

Summary:

Distance: 120 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

Today, bid farewell to the misty Sapa town across the winding road to the beautiful city of Lao Cai. We will stop at the city to enjoy a hot coffee and take pictures of the Vietnam – China milestone. We will drive along the Vietnam – China border to visit Bac Ha, a rural town with local markets that are only open every Sunday.

We will stop for a break and have lunch at one of the most popular restaurants in the town. After lunch, we head straight to the town of Xin Man (Coc Pai) on an uncharted road. Taking some time to rest, we will continue to Hoang Su Phi, famous for Ban Phung, Chieu Lau Thi peak, Tay Con Linh peak, and immense golden terraced fields. After stopping at Hoang Su Phi for sightseeing and taking photos, we will head to Ha Giang. Our final stop will be a resort where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the majestic mountains and rivers in the northernmost province of Vietnam.

Summary:

Distance: 240 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Homestay

Today we ride through attractive destinations that form the beauty of Ha Giang, such as Quan Ba Heaven Gate, Yen Minh pine forest, Lung Tam weaving village, Tham Mai Slope, the palace of Vuong family, and Lung Cu flagpole. Our most anticipated destination must be riding on a rocky path layered with “da tai meo” (rocks in the shape of cat’s ears) in the Dong Stone Plateau. This is surely the best part of the day, bringing many riding experiences that no experienced rider wants to miss. We arrive at Dong Van hotel at around 5 pm. We spend the whole time walking around Dong Van Old Quarter and enjoying a fresh beer.

Summary:

Distance: 180 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Today we have an unforgettable driving experience on the Happiness road, the trail along the emerald green Nho Que river, and the singletrack by the Dong Van rock plateau. We will take a break at Meo Vac before conquering the next off-road. Depending on the weather, the motorcycle type, and your riding experience, we will choose the well-suited off-road routes. After lunch at Bao Lac, we ride off-road and head straight to Ba Be Lake.

Arriving at Ba Be Lake, we rest at a village of the Tay people. Sitting with a beer in hand overlooking the beauty of Ba Be Lake gives you a feeling of peace and relaxation; we bet you will never want to leave this beautiful place.

Summary:

Distance: 180 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Today, don’t miss the chance to visit the top 2 attractive destinations of Vietnam’s northeast region: Ba Be Lake, the largest natural freshwater lake in Vietnam, and Ba Be National Park. After breakfast with raw jungle honey banana crepes and a cup of Vietnamese coffee, we spend about 3 hours discovering Ba Be lake, Ba Be National Park, and Dau Dau waterfall by motorbike. Don’t forget to bring swimsuits and towels because we will stop at a small island in the middle of the lake and swim. We have lunch with local people here before heading to Cao Bang city. We ride on Highway 3, crossing Gio pass to reach Cao Bang Geopark, which has been recently declared a new member of the UNESCO Global Network of National Geoparks.

Summary:

Distance: 150 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

For a group of experienced riders, we can choose a tougher route of crossing Ma Phuc pass to reach Ban Gioc waterfall, one of the five biggest waterfalls in the world and a natural China – Vietnam border. After spending some time admiring the beauty of the waterfall, we head to Quang Uyen tower on a different route which crosses through the core zone of Cao Bang National Geopark. Before arriving in Lang Son city, we stop to visit Bac Son valley, one of the most beautiful valleys of Lang Son province.

Summary:

Distance: 180 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Today we ride on a non-touristy route called Highway 279, crossing the ancient national forest and Bac Giang, the province of lychee. It’s expected to reach Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also one of the most popular travel destinations in Vietnam, at 5 pm.

Summary:

Distance: 200 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Hotel

Enjoy your late breakfast and coffee at a local restaurant in no hurry. After breakfast, let’s spend the whole morning taking a city tour by bicycle or motorbike to experience the fast-growing of this beautiful city.

We will be on a cruise to Halong bay at noon and have lunch there. At around 3 pm, we reach Titop island and climb 430 steps to the top of the island overlooking Halong Bay and enjoy the breathtaking sunset. After swimming, we return to the cruise and take a cooking class where you can make and taste your Vietnamese spring rolls guided by the chefs on the cruise.

We have a squid fishing time full of fun and excitement quite late tonight. Enjoy the most expensive and memorable night of the tour on the cruise before heading back to Hanoi tomorrow.

Summary:

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Cruise

Today’s morning, after a light breakfast with coffee, we will explore the magnificent Sung Sot cave in Ha Long Bay with lots of stalactites ad stalagmites. Sung Sot is among the ten largest caves in the world, with an area of 10,000m2. After buffet lunch, we will check out the cruise to return to Hanoi city on our “iron horses”. We choose the even roads to ride fast and be able to arrive in Hanoi City before the rush hour comes.

Summary:

Distance: 170 km

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

TOUR ENDS.